CARROLLTON, Texas (June 15, 2012) -- After terrible weather wreaked havoc on Wednesday evening in Dallas, the 103rd playing of the Texas Amateur Championship, presented by Insperity, was finally able to get underway. The Championship, which has been shortened to 54 holes, is being hosted by The Honors Golf Club following the extensive damage Lakewood Country Club received from the freak hailstorm Wednesday evening. A brief morning thunderstorm gave way to sunny skies as Paul McConnell jumped out to an early two stroke lead.

The unfortunate weather that tore through the east side of Dallas prompted the Texas Golf Association to change the venue of the state’s most prestigious amateur championship. The Honors Golf Club, in Carrollton, was able to accommodate this year’s field of 144 players on extremely short notice. As a club that has always been known for keeping their course in tremendous playing condition, The Honors truly went above and beyond to make sure that the quality of the course matched the players looking to hoist the H.L. Edwards Memorial Trophy.

During the morning wave, Tom Moore, of San Antonio, opened up his first round with birdies on the par three 3rd and the par five 4th holes before giving one back on the par four 5th hole. Quickly erasing his bogey, Moore carded two more birdies on the par five 6th and par four 7th holes to make the turn at 3-under par 33. A bogey on the par four 10th hole was his only blemish on the back side, which included three birdies on his final four holes to record an opening round 5-under par 66 (33-33).

Plano’s Lucas Boyd turned in a 4-under par 67 (33-34) in the morning wave. Boyd made five birdies and a single bogey in his opening round.

The afternoon wave saw Garland’s Paul McConnell record birdie after birdie en route to a 7-under par 64 (33-31). Starting his opening round on the back nine, McConnell registered birdies on the 11th, 13th, and 17th holes, all of which are par fours. He was also able to make a birdie on the par three 15th hole to turn at 4-under par 31. McConnell’s birdie brigade continued on his second nine with back-to-back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes. The University of Texas-Arlington golfer was able to record his seventh birdie of the round on the par four 5th hole. A final birdie on the par four 7th hole was negated with his only bogey of the day on the par three 8th hole.

There were four players in the afternoon wave were able to turn in opening round scores of 4-under par 67. That group consisted of Trophy Club’s Thomas Birdsey, Mansfield’s Kolton Crawford, College Station’s Jordan Russell and Brandon Scott, of Justin.

Eligibility: Entries are open to male amateur
golfers with a certified USGA Handicap Index
of
8.4 or less. Please reference “TGA State
Championship Eligibility” for further eligibility
details. In addition to TGA State Eligibility
guidelines: College players are eligible if they
hold playing privileges through their college
golf
team at a club or course which currently
belongs to the Texas Golf Association.

Format: 72 holes of Stroke Play. At the
completion of 36 holes the field is cut to the
low
50 and ties plus all players within 10 strokes
of
the lead.

18 Hole Qualifying: All players who are not
exempt under the above categories must
participate in a 18 hole sectional qualifier.